An NBA luminary. A hip-hop legend. A Russian billionaire. The largest trade in NBA history.

You can't make this stuff up.

The seemingly never-ending Carmelo Anthony trade talks had more twists and turns Monday. And the Nuggets didn't even practice, or have a game. Multiple sources said there is no meeting currently set up for billionaire Nets owner Mikhail Prok-horov and Jay-Z to sit down with Anthony, a meeting that NBA.com reported would happen. It's still possible Prokhorov could fly to Denver any day this week and try to convince Anthony to sign a three-year contract extension to facilitate a trade.

A source with knowledge of the Nuggets' strategy said Monday that the team is prepared for any contingency up to the NBA's Feb. 24 trading deadline. The goal remains trading with New Jersey in a megadeal that has been on the table for more than a week. It would send Anthony, Chauncey Billups and other Nuggets to the Nets for rookie Derrick Favors, guards Devin Harris and Anthony Morrow, at least two first-round draft picks and some throw-ins.

The Nets remain the most likely trading partner, and it's possible the Nets make the deal even if their owners don't give Anthony a sales pitch, although that's unlikely because Melo hasn't made any indication he will sign the contract extension to make the trade go through. Another possibility is a much smaller deal where the Nets would trade fewer assets, be it their 2011 first-round pick or Favors, in an effort to "rent" Melo until the end of this season, at which time he would become a free agent.

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Under this scenario, the Nets would have a shot at persuading Anthony to sign a long-term deal until season's end. Anthony understands that the Nets' expected move to Brooklyn in 2012 will coincide with the free agency of all-star point guard Chris Paul, a friend who has the same agent.

The Nuggets, of course, are trying to get the best deal possible. If they trade Anthony, they want to revamp the roster with young players and also clear salary cap space.

The New York Knicks are the team Melo would like to join, and Monday their president, Donnie Walsh, shook things up with a public statement. Walsh told reporters in New York that he's confident he can acquire a first-round draft pick in a trade, something the Knicks don't have to dangle right now.

"I could probably get more than one, but I'm not going to say how many," Walsh said. "But I'm confident I can get a first-round pick."

It's understood that Walsh would trade Anthony Ran-dolph for the pick, but it's unclear which team's pick he would acquire. Surely the Nuggets would rather have the lowly Nets' pick than the pick of almost any other team. And the Nuggets would rather have Favors from the Nets than, say, forward Danilo Gallinari from the Knicks.

The Houston Rockets are another possible trading partner if the deal with New Jersey falls apart. And the Rockets have draft picks to move.

As for the Nets, it's believed they were reluctant to make a huge trade while the team was on a four-game road trip that concluded Monday at Golden State. But the Nets are back in New Jersey and don't play on the road again until Jan. 28 at Indiana.

The Nuggets, meanwhile, don't have another road game until Jan. 25 at Washington. NBA players have 48 hours to report and pass physicals when they are traded. With up to 16 players possibly included in a Melo trade, having teams in a home base makes pulling a deal go much smoother.

The Nuggets return to the practice court today in preparation for two tough games at the Pepsi Center this week — Wednesday against Oklahoma City and Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers.

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